


Looking good

by Lilablassblau



Category: Castle
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Jealousy, M/M, Secret Santa, very late secret santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 03:19:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6178171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilablassblau/pseuds/Lilablassblau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Secret Santa prompt from RyspositoWritings: Ryan is constantly being hit on by everyone. Esposito is not impressed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RyspositoWritings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyspositoWritings/gifts).



> So, I almost fit the prompt. I hope you will still like it. 
> 
> "Ryan is constantly being hit on it seems by almost everyone. From going out for drinks with his best friend to simply working a case, someone always has to mention how good he looks in his suit or how his eyes are just so blue. Esposito is NOT jealous and how DARE anyone make that assumption. But when he snaps at Beckett for complementing Ryan on his new suit, Esposito figures he should probably sort out his feelings for his partner before he does something really stupid."

“Looking good, Detective,” Valesquez said with a smile. The police officer had the crime scene band lifted, so they both could slip through. She was always friendly, but this was unusual.

Espo looked to his right, because it was clear whom she had spoken to, eyes fixed next to him. Yes, Ryan looked as good as he usually did. He was just one of those guys that probably would look good even if you just woke up at three in the morning after working a hard-case. And, when he had put on one of his suits, there was no doubt that he was a good looking guy.

But this was not the issue. The issue Esposito had was that everyone felt the irresistible urge to point that out since Ryan had parted ways with Jenny. From the barista close by the precinct to Ivan from Ballistics - all of them smiling, winking or downright offering their phone-number. And in the beginning it had been a good way to boost the post-breakup self esteem of his partner. But after a month it started to grind on his nerves. Kevin Ryan was a respected member if the NYPD, not a contestant of the Bachelor.

“Javi?”

Uh, he must have gone on the ‘stop hitting on my best friend’-train too quickly, if Ryan used his first name on the job. And when he saw Ryan’s furrowed brows and Velasquez amused grin, all he could remember to do was grunt and push by both of them.

Thankfully, Ryan just shrugged and followed him without one of his typical ‘let’s hug it out’-reactions. If only Espo had known that this day would be the worst yet. And Velasquez was just the beginning.

Next was Castle, who grinned at Castle Junior, when he saw the dark blue suit. “Well, well, someone was out shopping,” he commented. And yes, Espo had noted that as well, but he was a professional.

Ryan, as sunny as he usually was after his first very strong double espresso coffee, smiled at Castle, grateful the writer noticed his efforts. “Thanks, Castle. My sister insisted, saying something about my eyes, and I wasn’t sure about it before, but two compliments into the day I recon it was a good decision,” he replied good natured, already moving to the next room where the victim was.

“He recons,” Espo growled, receiving a funny look from Castle and Beckett, but followed his partner anyway.

Canvassing the neighbourhood was eventless, but then their last witness replied to Espo’s questioning with a smooth “If I know something, will blue eyes over there do the interviewing?” Ryan blinked in surprise, while Espo slammed the door into the man’s face and then dragged the Irishman away by his arm.

By the time, they had reached the precinct again they had a lead - something about a squirrel, or silver girl? - and Espo was already done with the day. The random jogger passing them by and winking at Ryan was just the last straw.

To make matters worse, Ryan - after the first few minutes of confusion - was enjoying it way too much, so it fell upon Espo to remind everyone that they were officers of the law and not on some dumbass romantic comedy.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Of course, Ryan’s response to Espo’s foul mood now brought out his ‘let’s hug it out’-side. All Espo wanted to do was punch someone. Punching his clueless partner - he meant no harm after all and yeah, yeah, the suit really brought out his eyes and yes those same eyes were very blue, and yes, Ryan was good-looking--

“Okay,” Ryan interrupted his trail of thoughts with a shrug and then patted his shoulder before he went out of the break room with his second fix of caffeine for the day. Ryan-speak for ‘not sure who stole your favourite toy, but I’m here for you’.

At the murder board, Beckett already filled in their findings, looking as driven as she always was. Espo took a deep breath. Beckett was a professional, Beckett had no time for such bs as well. Beckett was safe.

“Okay, guys, the girl in the silver dress flew over the fire-escape and lost a shoe,” she began and was interrupted by an excited squeal from Castle. “Our killer is Cinderella?” Three cops turned their eyes at him, even Ryan looked less than impressed by the newest theory of their tag-along writer.

“Why don’t we ask her?” She nodded at a few uniforms bringing in a pretty blond in a silver evening gown, limping as she was missing one shoe. She looked their way, then took a double take and actually blushed. Castle gestured forward and with an eyeroll, Beckett went ahead.

After a few minutes Beckett was out again. Castle following behind with shit eating grin. Exchanging a look with Ryan, Espo saw he knew even less what this was about.

“Ryan, it’s you and me this time,” Beckett said. After a few blinks of confusion Ryan followed Beckett’s determined steps, listening to her hushed explanation before they stepped into interrogation again.

Castle turned to Espo, grin still firmly on his face, while the detective was lifting his arms questioning.

“‘Zito, my friend, our Ryan is in high demand today,” Castle said.

“What does that even mean?” Espo looked towards to closed door.

“That Cinderella in there wanted her ‘Prince Charming’,” Castle explained gleefully.

Slowly, it dawned on Espo that apparently a suspect had asked for Ryan--. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the detective growled and hurried down to the observation room, Castle close behind. In the interrogation, Cinderella was almost hanging on Ryan’s lips, when he quoted out of her file. Beckett tried her stern cop routine, but Espo could see the consternation between her brows.

“She said, ‘I want the other detective.’ To which Beckett replied, strict as always, ‘what other detective, we have a couple out there’. And then she said, ‘that real life prince charming in the blue suit’,” by the end Castle was giggling so much, he barely could get his words out.

The partner of said ‘prince charming’ however watched the interrogation with a stony expression and lips pressed into a firm line. It was not that he did envy Ryan for the attention.

No, he knew envy. Envy was that ugly feeling in the gut, when his neighbour Timmy got the newest bike, with black wheels, and he only a hand down garbage can. No, this was more around the chest area. Close to his heart. Spreading over his chest with every wink, flirt, grin and worse approving smile of Ryan.

In the interrogation the woman leaned forward in an attempt to grab one of Ryan’s hands. He retracted all of his body parts with a deep, offended glare there.

“Ms. Muller, may I ask you where you were on Tuesday between 5 and 8?”

“You may ask me anything, detective,” she purred.

Castle bursted out into a fit of laughter and normally Espo would have laughed about the witness, but he just felt irritated. And the irritation confused him. In there was his his partner, his best friend, the first guy whom he lost to in a drinking tournament. Not someone he put his flirt voice to, or held open the door for.

“You know, Espo, come to think of it, Ryan is more of the Cinderella here.”

With an open mouth, Espo turned his head to the writer.

“I mean, sure, she lost her shoe, but Ryan has the blue dress that enchants everybody.”

With a grunt, he turned around and left the giggling writer and the stupid suspect behind him. He needed some fresh air.

 

**************************************

 

It turned out this was one those cases, where they caught the killer right away. Not Cinderella, but her stupidass and violent boyfriend. Smashing the victim’s head in with his own baseball bat was just the tip of his stupidity. But at last they could go to the Old Haunt.

And at first, it seemed to all go back to normal again. Castle trying to flirt with Beckett, Beckett rolling his eyes, but sorta but not quite enjoying it, Lanie sassing up the bar and Ryan being the usual happy dork.

It was all fine and dandy until that guy came over, put his beer on the table and leaned over it. He grinned at them, flipping his dark blond hair back and then said: “Okay, baby blue, see my friends over there?”

At first, Esposito thought it was Kate he talked to. It happened often enough, but then Kate shifted, looking at Kevin.

“They think you are way above my league, I think I could have someone like you.”

Kevin opened and closed his mouth several times, apparently at loss what was happening to him.

“So, I’ll say you’ll come with me and I’ll prove to you--”

“Thank you, but no thank you.” Finally, Kevin had found his voice again and Javier felt the deep urge to kiss him right there.

The guy shifted, blinked, took his beer and nodded, but added one last time. “Limited time offer, baby blue.”

Kevin snorted and rolled his eyes. He watched the guy leave and grabbed for his empty bottle. “Anyone want a refill?” With that he got up to go to the bar.

“Phew, we need to look out for our boy there before someone tries to make off with him,” Lanie interrupted the silence and earned a hard glare from Javier. “Aww, don’t pout, love. He is all yours, if you just want to.”

“Lanie,” Kate hissed.

“What? Someone has to say it once,” Lanie continued and with a sigh, Kate turned to Javier. “Listen, Javi, she is not wrong, and no one would judge you, I mean Kevin does look very fine in that suit--”

Okay, enough was enough. He could deal with strangers hitting on Kev, maybe even Castle making his usual dumb quips, but Kate? No nonsense Kate Beckett?

When he reached the bar, Mr. ‘Limited time offer’, just leaned into Kev, who in turn leaned away from him: ”-- just come with me and you won’t regret it.”

“No, he will not,” Javier finally snapped. This was it. He took Kevin by the hand, vaguely aware how it might look to their friends and dragged a confused Kevin into an empty corner.

There he crowded in on his partner, pressing him against the wall and keeping him there by resting one arm each right next to Kevin’s body on the wall.

Kevin looked rightfully confused, but there was also that unwavering trust that Javier had a good reason for his actions. His blue suit was a bit rumbled, the upper buttons opened for the night and hinting on that well trained body underneath.

And yes, this colour just made his eyes pop, his too blue to be true eyes that watched him closely now. Adding the half opened mouth and that adorable frown on the pretty face, Javier did the only right thing and leaned in. One arm tightened on Kevin’s hips, enjoying the slight jump in the other’s body. The other lifted his chin and he felt Kevin’s warm breath on his lips, when he was only a couple of mm away from him. He smiled and whispered, “You belong with me, Kevin.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but leaned in.

When Castle checked on them a few minutes later, they still stood in that corner, Kevin’s hand on Javier’s neck, another arm around his hip and they made out like a couple of teenagers. They separated for a moment, just to smile and whisper at each other and then delved right into it again.

Castle took pictures, just in case Beckett did not believe him. He then wanted to wisecrack about their compromising position, but Esposito made a deep growly sound that would befit a lion marking his territory and knew better than to interrupt.

Both guys remained oblivious to their friend, too lost in newly found attraction to the other’s lips, skin, voice, anything really. At some point, Javier let go and looked around quickly and yes everybody had gotten the message that Kevin was his.

“Satisfied?” Kevin’s voice drew him back.

“Hmm?” His head was dragged back to look at Kevin, who was clearly amused.

“Now that you staked your claim, could we please move that to something more private?”

Javier looked embarrassed for a few seconds, but then had the most insufferable smirk on his face and leaned down again to kiss him once more. When Kevin looked breathless and blushed deliciously, Javier nodded. “Let’s get outta here.”

When they left, they only waved at their friends. Kevin just wanted to be alone with Javier. And Javier? Well, he had enough of those looks on his love for today.

 

 


End file.
